By BRUCE HOOLEY
FOXSportsOhio.com
Feb. 28, 2011
The storied days in high school, college and the National Football League left Chris Spielman short of the only goal he truly cared about.
There was the Wheaties box appearance as a Massillon Washington all-state linebacker, the Lombardi Trophy as a two-time All-American at Ohio State and the four Pro Bowls with the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills.
There was never, however, the ultimate team championship to celebrate.
He came close, losing in the Division I title game at Massillon, falling short of a Rose Bowl triumph at OSU and coming up empty in an NFC Championship Game apearance with the Lions.
But now, 12 years after his career ended in the first training camp of the expansion Browns in 1999, Spielman has another chance at a victory that would dwarf the ones he drove himself to obtain on the football field.
The opponent he's dedicated the rest of his life to defeating is cancer.
This battle is personal for Spielman, who lost his wife, Stefanie, to breast cancer on Nov. 19, 2009.
Her courageous 12-year fight against the disease made her the focal point of a research fund that's raised over $7 million and an inspiration to those who have been dealt the same devastating hand.
Through it all, the Spielmans vowed not to let cancer dictate the terms of their life, which is why he and his children spent last weekend aboard a cruise ship with 2,500 Ohio State fans on the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer.
It was exactly two years ago that the Spielmans set out on the same rollicking, five-day, four-night tour of the Carribbean for what would be Stefanie's final care-free days before her fifth diagnosis.
The smiles and the laughter of that family vacation couldn't completely mask what 12 years as a "cancer husband" suggested was going on.
A persistent cough and dizzy spells convinced Spielman something was amiss with his wife's health.
He hoped his instincts were wrong. But as was the case for so many years on the field, they were indeed correct.
Nine months later, she was gone, leaving a legacy of service and inspiration and a baton to be passed.
"There's a little bit of mixed emotions coming back on this cruise, because this is when Stef got sick," Spielman said. "We kind of knew something was wrong, and when we got home, that's when we found out she was really sick.
"When you lose a loved one, a spouse or anybody, there is a series of firsts. There's a first Christmas, the first time you hear a song you both enjoyed . . . so this is a big first.
"But this event was something Stefanie really embraced. What Stef wanted, and what I want for our children, is not to let cancer dictate what we do in our lives. If our lives are part of this cause and this cruise, then we will not let cancer determine whether we go."
Spielman's commitment to fighting cancer goes far beyond sailing to Key West and the Bahamas.
Since his wife's death, he has immersed himself in all aspects of the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at The James Cancer Hospital on the OSU campus.
He's become its spokesman, cheerleader and layman's voice of accountability to the doctors and researchers applying the dollars to make a dent in the disease.
You can only imagine the reaction of the lab-coated medical community when the old OSU linebacker began asking questions about receptor cells and protein counts, while exhorting them to take cancer "out" like a tight end venturing over the middle.
"Success is measured in small steps, but they are having great success, and a lot of it is due to all the people who have contributed money to Stef's fund over the years," Spielman said. "One of her dreams, one of her passions, was to go on the attack, as opposed to sitting and taking what cancer imposed upon her.
"This fund helps the doctors punch back at cancer, because cancer doesn't take a day off. It won't. It never will. So, we can't, either. I wanted to educate myself on what exactly was going on. I wanted to show the researchers that, not only do I admire what you're doing and not only do I care about what you're doing, but I also want to hold you accountable for what you are doing.
"If the fund is bringing money to you, then we need results. 'What are you doing? Why are you doing that?' They've been more than happy to explain what they're doing. It's been an awesome experience."
Some $300,000 will be raised this weekend on the cruise in the largest single-event fundraiser for the Stefanie Spielman Fund this year. Most of the other dollars, which have pushed annual contributions in recent years to nearly $1 million annually, come from the sort of grassroots support that birthed the fund.
Back when it started, it consisted of $1 contributions tacked onto the grocery bills of persons living in the same Columbus suburb as the Spielmans.
Bowl-a-thons, golf outings, bake sales and other events added to a total the Spielmans hoped might eventually top $100,000.
Some of those same events, sponsored by the same community organizations or individuals, have been held every year since 1999 and individually have added cumulative amounts of more than $100,000.
"That's always been the source, the core and the foundation of the fund," Spielman said. "They don't raise as much money as the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer, but they're no less important."
Nor is anyone's cancer fight less important than another's, which is why Spielman continues to battle for a cure that didn't come in time to spare his wife.
"I'll never give up until we beat this disease," he said. "I'll do whatever I have to do."
Sometimes, that's questioning a researcher about a drug Spielman can't even pronounce.
But this weekend, it's about having fun and conquering another bittersweet memory.
"I'm glad to be back and be a part of this again," Spielman said. "It's good to see people smile, have a great time and also raise money for a great cause."
Editor's note: FOX Sports Ohio's Bruce Hooley hosted a daily radio show with Chris Spielman from 2007-2010 and is co-authoring Spielman's biography, "That's Why I'm Here: The Chris and Stefanie Spielman Story," due to be published in September of this year.
Follow Bruce Hooley on Twitter @BHOOLZ
Email Bruce at BruceHooley@gmail.com
